E-Scrap News NewsBits

Thu, 07/25/2013 - 10:40 | danl

NewsBits

IT asset disposition firm Retire-IT has launched a verification system to help businesses more effectively and securely dispose of old computing equipment. Said Retire-IT CEO Kyle Marks: "It is disheartening to see organizations invest in efforts to properly retire unwanted equipment, and then fail short of collecting critical evidence to confirm their efforts were a success. Without verification, organizations only have assumptions."

An undergraduate engineering student has developed a bicycle-like contraption that can be used by individuals in developing countries to safely extract precious metals from old electronics. The invention, called Bicyclean, uses pedal power to grind up circuit boards. The student, Rachel Field, was inspired to design the device after visiting an area of Ghana where electronics were being broken down in dangerous conditions.

Nonprofit industry group Ontario Electronics Stewardship (OES) announced that its e-scrap collection program has allowed residents in the province to divert 200,000 metric tons of material from landfills since efforts were initiated in 2009. OES organizes free collection of old electronics in Ontario.